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A Weekly Newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Madison
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This Sunday in Worship
Services at 9 & 11:15 a.m.
On February 17 we will commission our Church Council and the resource committees of the church as they begin their current year of service. This will occur in both the 9:00 and 11:15 services. Rev. Dr. Mark Fowler will preach on the text of
Luke 6:17-26, with the title "No Woes".
The Chancel Choir and Blessed Brass will provide music leadership at 9:00.
The Blessed Brass prelude will begin at 8:50 and will include hymn arrangements of: To God Be the Glory and Take Time to be Holy. An extended arrangement of Overture to Joseph in Egyptby Etienne-Nicolas Méhul (1763-1817) is the centerpiece of the prelude. The opera is little known today, but contemporaries of Méhul considered him a mentor and pioneer of the use of thematic transformation. This dramatic overture is not to be missed! The brass ministry of music is an arrangement How Beautiful Upon the Mountains, a musical setting of Isaiah 52:7. The postlude is an arrangement of hymns written by Philip Paul Bliss, an American composer, conductor, teacher, and evangelist. The
Chancel Choir will provide an uplifting introit by Mary Lynn Lightfoot, Praise to God, Immortal Praise.
Musical leadership at 11:15 will be provided by Ross Cowing, organist and Thore Dosdall, soloist. Thore will be singing The Heart Worships, a setting of a 1907 poem by A.M. Buckton, composed by Gustav Holst.
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This Sunday in Christian Formation
Classes at 10:15 a.m.
Coffee Fellowship: 8:15-11:15 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall (treats served at 10 a.m.)
Childcare
For infants and toddlers - Noah's Ark Nursery (in Octagon), 8:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
For young children - Read N' Play Room (LL07) from 9-10 a.m.
Children's Sunday School
Children age 3 and older
Classrooms in the Lower Level
Wee Learn Class in room LL12 at 10:30
Youth Sunday School
Lower Level Youth Rooms
Bible Study I
n the Chapel, with Pastor Fowler
Doug Maynard and Mark Fowler will lead a six week study of James Cone's "The Cross and the Lynching Tree."
Theology for the 21st Century in LL05
This class reads and discusses books about religion, theology, and past/current events. Join us as we discuss
the new book by Brian McLaren, 2019's Lyons Lecturer, The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World's Largest Religion is Seeking a Better Way to be Christian.
This class will complete our study of a Brian McLaren book and begin a new study on February 24. Watch this space for the new book title!
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Welcome Paul Melrose
Please welcome Rev. Paul Melrose to the FUMC staff as the Assisting Pastor for Pastoral Care. Paul is a retired Methodist Pastor who has been attending First Church since moving to Madison from Michigan to be near grandchildren. Paul is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with many years of experience in counseling. Paul will be working about 10 hours/week, assisting Jim Ostrander in ministering to our aging members (especially regarding end of life issues) as well as offering care to our younger members. Paul will also have an increased role on Sunday mornings, with visitation/funerals, and in assisting Pastor Mark as needed. Please welcome Paul to this important ministry position.
Ann Herrold-Peterson,
SPRC Chair
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Thank you from Thea's Table and Food for Thought Initiative
Food for Thought Initiative sends many thanks to all who contributed money or food to Thea's Table. The Souper-Bowl Sunday drive added $283 and over 170 pounds of food. We have already used the peanut butter, individual fruits, microwave mac and cheese, beef sticks, chicken and fruit snacks to help fill emergency bags for families when they become homeless. Donations can always be made by check to The Goodman Community Center, with Thea's Table in the memo line, or by internet through our
website. Our donation bin is in the lower-level Sunday school department. We are blessed to have the support of FUMC!
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Hawthorne Partnership
FUMC's partnership with Hawthorne Elementary continues to flourish. Throughout the month of February, we will be taking donations of socks, underwear, and sweats for children aged 4-12.
Sign up to become a volunteer tutor HERE
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The school needs reading and math tutors at all levels, and they appreciate our help!
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Coming This Fall - A Fund Appeal to Retire the Mortgage
During the recent Polar Vortex, our church building provided a warm and welcoming space for people without a home. In this instance and in so many more, our church building is essential to our ministry of being Downtown for Good.
Making our church building available to meet the needs of our downtown and our ongoing ministry has a cost. One of the costs is $90,000 in mortgage debt service payments every year until 2037. To free this money to continue growing our ministry and invest in our staff, last December at the annual Church Conference the members present voted unanimously to conduct a special fund appeal this fall to seek financial commitments to retire our mortgage in three years and to support First Church's ministry in 2020. During the coming months, please pray as the leaders are selected for this special fund appeal and prayerfully prepare yourself to respond generously when you are asked to make your financial commitments.
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Joys and Concerns
Please hold the following in prayer this week: Charlotte Holzman, Helen Kuntz, Chuck Waity, Lynn Peterson, and Leigh Roberts
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We extend our love and sympathy to Jonathan and Betty Whirry and family on the death of their grandson, Ty.
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Announcements
Spouses Now Alone
The next Spouses Now Alone lunch will occur on Tuesday, February 26th. We'll be meeting at the Concourse Hotel at 12:00 noon. Please remember that you can park in the church lot and walk to the Concourse. For reservations purposes, please either call Jim at 338-0268 or
email him. It will be good to get together again after a three month hiatus because of holidays and bad weather.
In the Octagon This Week
A special luncheon event for women is being planned for Friday, March 8, 11:30-1:30, in Fellowship Hall. We will be privileged to have Keri Olson, Inspirational writer and speaker, as our special guest. Her thoughtful and engaging presentation will inspire and uplift our spirits in the midst of the
winter. Please stop at the table in the Octagon to reserve your place at our table!
February Music Events
We will be hosting two more performing groups in February: A chamber music concert from LunART on Saturday February 23, and the Madison Wind Ensemble on Sunday February 24. Please see this week's
Supplement for more details.
Flower & Coffee Fellowship Sponsorships
Flower and Coffee Fellowship sponsorship sign-up is
available online. The physical sign up signs are up in the Narthex. If you would like to get a jump on claiming dates for 2019, please feel free to
email or call the Welcome Center at 608.256.9061. Thank you for another great year!
Fruit, Cheese, and Sausage Sale
Fundraiser for Youth Missions at FUMC
The annual Fruit, Cheese, and Sausage Sale began Sunday, February 3, and continues through February 17.
Place an order for yourself or donate an order to our Food Pantry. These are some of the most welcomed products for the pantry.
Upcoming, A Prayer Vigil for the Special General Conference
There will be time for self-guided and guided prayers, with Pastors Mel and Linda Vance. This vigil is at Wellspring United Methodist Church, February 24, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. "Come and go as the spirit moves you"
Have an event or announcement you'd like printed here? Email us your submission by 10 a.m. on the Tuesday prior. Please note that all announcements are subject to edit.
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